La Peste (The Plague) by Albert Camus: A Review from an Oxbridge Student
A Contemporary Moment
Sales of La Peste (The Plague in English) rocketed up by 1000% in the UK during the first few weeks of lockdown. We didn’t predict coronavirus or the lockdown, but when they came to pass, it seems many of us sought comfort in a book containing clear parallels to our current situation: The Plague, a French novel written in 1947 by Albert Camus.
As we struggled to comprehend the pandemic confining us to our homes, The Plague provided us with a useful tale. Set in Oran, a city on the coast of Algeria, in the 1940s, it tells of a fictional plague that sweeps through the population at astonishing speed. One day the rats of the city mysteriously die in their droves, the next the first person in the city reports they are bedbound with a strange condition that causes boils to erupt all over their skin. Within a few weeks, an emergency and city-wide lockdown is called as the number of new cases of this disease increases more quickly than the city officials can even register.
The Uncanny
Every reader will recognise the uncanny similarities between the reactions of the people of Oran and ourselves. We will all see the initial complacency and denialism of the citizens as eerily similar to, if not our own reactions to first reading about coronavirus, then certainly to those of some friends and family. “It is impossible it should be the plague, everyone knows it has vanished from the West,” said one character near the start of the book. We thought the same earlier this year. This uncanniness provides comfort for some readers whilst unsettling others.
As the wave of the plague washes over and engulfs the city, the citizens resolve that their best form of defence, both physically against the virus, and spiritually to preserve their sanity, is solidarity. Many citizens put themselves forward to perform dangerous, unenviable tasks for the common good such as working in hospitals and at burial sites. This sense of self-sacrifice and fraternity is held up by Camus to show the very best of mankind. In a similar way, we have watched with huge admiration those essential workers still doing their job during coronavirus and have clapped them every week from our front doors.
As coronavirus swept across the world, we have grown accustomed to hearing our leaders refer to the virus as if it were a military enemy. The metaphor of war arguably helps us to understand the virus. Boris Johnson certainly thinks so. “We must act like any wartime government… yes, this enemy can be deadly but it is also beatable,” declared the Prime Minister as Britons buckled down in their homes.
Plague, War, and Existentialism
Conversely, Camus used the metaphor of plague to help understand war. Camus wrote the book in the early 1940s during the Nazi occupation of France. With this knowledge, the book becomes a powerful allegory for fascism. Camus himself described it as an allegory for terror, given when it was written, the source of this terror is clear. Camus himself joined the underground French resistance and his strong, moral belief in humanity that caused him to put his life on the line in Paris shines through in The Plague. In the terrifying face of disease, Camus’ characters stand strong and risk their lives to do what they believe to be right just as the author himself did.
The Plague also serves as a useful introduction into the philosophy of existentialism. Existentialism investigates the nature of existence by focusing on the experience of the human subject confronted by a seemingly meaningless world. Although putting up a fight against the plague seems a lost cause, the characters in the book still try and, in so doing, provide their lives with meaning. Herein lies the essence of Camus’ philosophy: though we are faced with a terrifyingly vast universe devoid of inherent meaning, we create meaning for ourselves through our actions. The narrator turns this thought over in his mind as he thinks to himself, ‘What does it mean, the plague? It’s life, that’s all.” This strand of philosophy reached its peak popularity in the decades after the Second World War and Albert Camus was one of its most celebrated proponents. This new wave of existentialism was predominantly French-led and also included the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.
Ultimately, The Plague is a hopeful tale. “There are more things to admire in men than to despise”, muses the narrator towards the end of the novel. Tough times show the true side of people and in Camus’ tale, as in the UK during coronavirus, most people generally respond by displaying generosity and sacrifice. In Camus’ eyes, these human acts provide meaning for life itself.
If you liked this, why not try…
L'Étranger (The Stanger) – Albert Camus
Huis Clos (No Exit) – Jean-Paul Sartre
Are you interested in A-Level Languages tuition or university preparation?
We have a large team of Oxbridge-educated mentors in Modern Foreign Languages tutors, covering the majority of European languages, and others e.g. Arabic, Mandarin, Russian. We offer GCSE and A-level French, Spanish, German and Italian tuition, amongst others, as well as university preparation mentoring for those applying for languages. Book a consultation to find out more!
The Tuition Process
1) We suggest an Oxbridge graduate with a specialism in GCSE, A-Level or IB as a mentor and send their full CV for review. We will select a tutor with most experience of the examination board the student is following. We may suggest a range of tutors to choose from with slightly differing rates depending on qualifications and level of experience.
2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour informal assessment/ preliminary session, where the tutor will get to know the student and assess their current performance level and identify strengths and weaknesses. Following this, we issue a report with feedback, make sure you are happy with the tutor, and structure a plan for future sessions.
3) Regular sessions: Following the first session, the tutor/s will curate a plan for further sessions, working out a good split between papers/ texts/ topics to cover. They will also ensure the student has the tools they need with regards to exam technique/ understanding how to tick the boxes of mark schemes. All of our tutors are Oxbridge-educated and highly passionate about their subjects, so should hopefully mentor and inspire the student too! We send reports after every session detailing feedback and students/ parents & guardians liaise directly with the tutor to arrange sessions around their schedule.
Sessions from £70/h + VAT.